Cable clamp



MaylO, 1932. K LE v 1,857,437

CABLE CLAMF Filed Feb. 2.4, l93l !hua/dor [/mrK Cela.

Pat nta& May 10, 1932 UNTED P TENI* OFFICE I g ELMER ,K cmbr v wmrnnsm',iowA i damn GLAM P Application filed February 24, 1931. Serial No.517,837.

My invention relates to that class of'cable clamps which are employedinconnecting a guy wire cable or the like 'to an anchor rod.

My object is to 'provide a clamp of this character of simple, durableandinexpensive Construction, which may be made of cast malleable metal, andwithout machining any other than screw threads, and to which a cablestretched taut may be readily, quickly 7 and easily applied and firmlyand securely anchored. v

My invention consists in the Construction, arrangement and combinationof the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated areattai'ned,as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in ny claims,and illustrated 'in the accompanying drawings, in which: I 1

Figure 1 shows a top or `plan view of a T cable clamp embodying myinvention `with a cable clamped therein.

Figure 2 shows a side elevation of same partly in section. c g Figure 3shows a top or plan viewofthe body portion of the clamp with the upperclamping member and bolt removed.

`Figure 1 shows a top view of the lower clamping member; and u Figure 5shows an inverted planview of the upper clamping member. A

Referringto the. accompanying drawings, I have used the referencenumeral toindi- Cate generally the body portion of the clamp. v At'oneend it is preferably provided with an enlarged portion 11, havinga'screw threaded opening 12 to receive a screw threaded anchor rod, notshown. The body portion is preferably substantially oval andsubstantially flat on its upper and lower surfaces Theupper 1 surface,however, s provided with a groove 13 to receive a cable 14, asshown inFigure 3, and toward the rear end of'the top surface there is a raisedpost 15, for purposeshereinafter made clear. In the center of thebodyportion is a screw threaded bolt opening in which a bolt 16 is seated. f

Rotatively mounted upon the boltlis a sleeve 17 having its upper endmade of angular formation to receive a wrench. On the V lower end of thesleeve 17 are two outwardly eXtendedarms18, with their'outer edges of Awedge'shape, and these are so arranged that when the sleeve 17 is turnedto one position, the'arms 18 will assume the position shown by dottedlinesat 19 in Fgure 3, and when the arms '18 are turned to the positionshown by solid lines in Figure 3, these wedge sur'faces engage 'andclamp adjacent portions' of the cable against the raised rbs 20 at theouter sidesof the body portion; 7

A pull upon the cable 14: in the direction of the arrow shown in F igure3 will cause the wedges to firmly grip the cable, the gripping action ofwhich increases as the tension upon the cable increases. V 4

`'Mounted-o'n top of the body portionisan upper gripping member 21,having an opening therein to looselyreceive the sleeve 17. This grippingmember is formed with a groove 22 shaped substantiallylike the groove 13and designed to receive the cable 14.

At the forward end of the clamping member 21, the outer rib, which formsthe groove 22, is cut away so that the cable may extend beyond thegripping member.

nember to 'cooperate with the body 10, sulostantially like the grippingmember 21,` and indicated generally by the numeral 23, and

'has a cable groove 24. It is rotatively mounted on the lower endof-thebolt 16, and a nut 25 and lock washer 26 are provided for gripping itagainst the body portion 10 and holding it in that position. u In someinstances I find that the wedge looking device 17 and lS'is unnecessary,and

when that 'is not used, the device is operated First :the bolt isscrewed 'upwardly until thei uppenclamping'member 21 has moved i toposition 'sp aced apart from the body 10 'far enough topermit' theinsertion of the cable into the grooves13 and 22 from the en- I- havealso provided a second gripping 521,; the d of the cable.

i tire cireumference inwardly. That is to say,

the cable is simply w rapped about the clamping device until it entersthe grooves and is' engaged by the post Then a block and tackle isapplied to the end of the cable, shown at the right in Figure' 3, andthe cable is drawntaut. When this has been done, the

bolt 16 is screwed down to firmly-hold the clamping member 21 againstthe body 10. Then the block and tackle is removedso that the-end of thecable isfree' Thisfree endis then bent downwardly over the end of thebody 10, as shown at 27 in Figure 2, and'is wrapped around theclampingmember 23, in'

the same manner' as it was around the clamping member 21 beforedescribed,` .untilit is containedwthin the groove 24 and thecorresponding groove onthe under side of? the body 10, as shown inFigure 2, andits free end may then be extended outwardly. Then thenut 25is manipulated to `firmly` clanp' theclamping member 23 against the body10.

, This forms :a clamp sutficient to hold 'the cable against strains tosuch anextent that the cable will break before it slips in the clamp., v

, In some'instances I prefer to have the end of the cableconcealedwithin the clampbetween the clamping member 23, and the *body 10, butwhere a longer cableend is desired,

the proj'ectingend may be tied tothe body portion ofthecable by a wire28, or in any 7 other suitable manner;

When it is desired toagain Stretch the same 1 cable, this. may be donewith my improved devicevery quickly and easily, because all that isnecessary is to loosen the nut .25. Then" unwrap the endportionofthecable from jbetweenfthe clamping members 232 and the 4: body-10,and then apply. a blockand tackle to the loose end of thecable,`andwhenlthis has been done, thenit is only* necessary to loosen the bolt 16a slight amount, suificiently to .permt 'the' block `,and tackle to Vdraw the cable through a groove between the clamping 'members 21 and 10,and when the tension has been properly' applied tothe cable, the bolt16-is tightene'd and the end of the cable Secured in the same manner asbefore de:

scribed.

When it is desiredto use the wedge clamping device, itis not necessaryto use the lower 'clamping member 23,`although this may be done ifdesired for the The operation of my clamping device when the wedgelocking 'device is' used is the same asrthat before described, except,that -the wedge is first placed in the position shown by dotted linesin Fgure 3'. Then after the cfable has beenstretched taut,*the` wedgemember is moved to the position'shown by solid purpose of concealing j Ihave found in practice that the entire device may be manufacturedat aconsiderably less cost than'that for other articles now in use for thesame purpose, and that' an operator can save considerable time by theuse of my improved clamp over that required for other c1ampngdevices-now in use.

' 'I- claim, as my invention::

. 1, A cable clamp, comprising a body portion having a substantiallyfiat surface, a bolt seated' in the body' portion, a cable retaningposton said flat surface of the body, a sleeve rotatively mounted on thebolt, two wedges onthey endof the sleeve adjacent to'the body and'soshaped that a cable may be passed around the bolt and thei posti' andbe supported. by the post spacedapart fron the wedges and the boltwhen-the wedgesare in one position,- andthat when thesleeve is turnedthewedges will engage the adjacent sur-faces of the cableon ;both sidesofthe bolt, a clamping member loosely mounted upon the r bolt. and 'formed'with an .op enng 'through whichsaid sleeve is projected, 'and meansonone ,of the clamping members for opposing the outward movement of thecable when engaged by the wedges;

2. A cable clamp devicecomprising a body portion and two clampingn1embers'one on each side of the :body portion, a bolt passed throughboth clampingqmembers ,andhavng 'a screw threaded,connection withsaidbody portion, and a nut on the end of the bolt'for drawing one v of theclamping ,members toward the said body, v said, parts 'being so shapedthat a portion of :a cable; may be passed around one side of the? .bodyportion and then stretched taut, thengby turnng the ,boltoneof theclamping members may :be

drawn ,toward the ;body 'to clamp the cable, then the free endportionofthe cable maybe woundaround the opposite side of thebody and finallyby adjusting saidnut, the free end i each clamping member toward' thebody por tion.- V r i DesMoi-nesil owa, J anuary 'O, 1931;J 1 ELMERsK.com

lines in Figure 3-, and then theboltlis tightu ened to clamp themember'21again`st the body

